President Rodrigo Roa Duterte addresses newly surrendered former New People’s Army rebels at the Cataingan National High School in Cataingan, Masbate on January 9, 2019. Also in the photo are Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, and former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go. ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO (Photo Credits: pcoo.gov.ph)

Malacanang still finds no reason to release an official medical bulletin regarding the health of President Rodrigo Duterte even with the latest result of the Social Weather Stations survey, indicating that 66 percent of Filipinos are worried on the health of the Chief Executive.

Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Thursday, Jan. 10, said that the Constitution only requires the President to release a medical bulletin if he/she has a serious illness.

“The President knows he is not in serious illness kaya he is not obligated to release anything about his condition,” Panelo told reporters during a press briefing in Malacanang.

The Malacanang official also stressed that the results of the SWS survey conducted on December 2018 only shows that there is an increase in the number of Filipinos caring for the welfare of the President.

In a similar SWS survey conducted on September, only 55% of the respondents expressed their worry for the health of the President.

Panelo added that the people showed concern for the health of Duterte since they want him to remain as President due to the changes that his Administration has implemented.

“They want this President to remain in office. They don’t want to be deprived of the change that they have seen with his governance. That’s how I see it,” Panelo claimed.

Panelo also insisted that the President has been transparent about his health and has provided regular updates to the public.